The Best Ethernet Cable For Gaming
Ethernet cables are found in vast numbers on the market, but picking the best ethernet cable for gaming is still a difficult task for many people. Ethernet cables are widely used in Local Area Networks (LAN) and are much faster than common wireless adapters. Ethernet cables are a must-buy product for Esports due to a lot of reasons. We all know that WiFi transmits slower speeds than ethernet. Using wireless adapters is not the best way to do online gaming because a wireless connection is not reliable, has a slower response time, and often has issues such as disconnection or low signals.
Ethernet cables, on the other hand, are completely free of these issues and a professional gamer always prefers a wired connection for online gaming because every millisecond counts in the competition. You may also require one of the best ethernet switches to get the optimal setup. Therefore, the ethernet cables for gaming is sort of a necessity in modern-day computing. This is why you must consider various factors which contribute to a cable being better than the other.
Best Ethernet Cables For Gaming You Can Buy Today
| # | Preview | Product Name | Award | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Best Overall Ethernet Cable For Gaming | VANDESAIL Professional Ethernet Cable | Check Price |
| 2 |  | Micro Connectors SFTP Cable | Best Looking Ethernet Cable For Gaming | Check Price |
| 3 |  | Monoprice Cat8 Ethernet Network Cable | Best Ethernet Cable For Streamin | Check Price |
| 4 |  | Veetop Cat8 Ethernet Cable | Best 100ft Ethernet Cable | Check Price |
| 5 |  | Buhbo CAT 8 Ethernet Cable | Best Budget Ethernet Cable For Gaming | Check Price |
| # | 1 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Best Overall Ethernet Cable For Gaming |
| Award | VANDESAIL Professional Ethernet Cable |
| Details | Check Price |
| # | 2 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Micro Connectors SFTP Cable |
| Award | Best Looking Ethernet Cable For Gaming |
| Details | Check Price |
| # | 3 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Monoprice Cat8 Ethernet Network Cable |
| Award | Best Ethernet Cable For Streamin |
| Details | Check Price |
| # | 4 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Veetop Cat8 Ethernet Cable |
| Award | Best 100ft Ethernet Cable |
| Details | Check Price |
| # | 5 |
| Preview | |
| Product Name | Buhbo CAT 8 Ethernet Cable |
| Award | Best Budget Ethernet Cable For Gaming |
| Details | Check Price |
Last Update on 2024-03-05 at 14:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you are not much into premium quality ethernet cables, then take a quick look at our product description below. The use of premium material such as braided cable, 24 karat gold pins, thick coating, and flat shapes of some cables to save space may come as a surprise. You should brush up on the basics of routers, modems, and IP addresses if you want to get to know the basics first. So without taking any more of our precious reader’s time, let us go through our contenders for the title of the best ethernet cable for gaming.
1. Best Overall Ethernet Cable For Gaming - VANDESAIL Professional Ethernet Cable
Our Rating: 9.4/10
Pros
- Affordable Price
- Multi-color Connectors
- Excellent Build Quality
- Great Performance
- Multiple Sizes Available
Cons
- Limited To 20-Gbps Transfer rate
- No Warranty
Category: Cat-8 | Multi-Color: Yes | Bandwidth/Transfer Rate: 2Ghz/20Gbps
Check PriceVANDESAIL Professional CAT8 Ethernet Cable is a high-quality cable having a bandwidth of 2-GHz and supports up to 20-Gbps transfer rate. The connectors are 24K gold-plated making the data transfer accurate and efficient. It is also available in braided design which is preferred by many people as it looks better.
VANDESAIL Professional CAT8 Ethernet Cable comes in only black color but connectors are available in two colors; orange and black. It is also available in large sizes which can be useful if you are using the cable outdoor.
We observed great transfer rates and the shielding of the cable ensured durability. It is a premium cable but comes at a cheap price and is suitable for any kind of network whether at home or in the office. It is, in our opinion, the best overall ethernet cable for gaming.
2. Best Looking Ethernet Cable For Gaming - Micro Connectors SFTP Cable
Our Rating: 9.2/10
Pros
- Snagless Design
- Great Build Quality
- Looks Great
- Solid Performance
- Shielded (S/FTP)
Cons
- Can Be Disconnected Easily
- No Warranty
Category: Cat-8 | Multi-Color: No | Bandwidth/Transfer Rate: 2Ghz/20Gbps
Micro Connectors Cat8 SFTP cable is one of the cables you should use in a big network. It has 2-GHz bandwidth and it supports up to 40-Gbps network speed. The cable has aluminum Mylar foil on each twisted pair and all the cables are collectively shielded with 85% tin braided copper. This results in very low interference from environmental factors providing a stable connection. Before buying this cable, make sure that you confirm the length of the cable as the longest pack is only 25-ft long which I supposed might not be enough for some users.
This cable was quite stiff due to extra shielding which was a bit troublesome for installation but yielded excellent results once connected.
A unique advantage of this cable for a large network is that this cable has Snag-less boots which allow easy changes in the network. Also, the cable connectors are 50U” gold plated for accurate data transfer. Again, this cable can be used in almost any type of environment, be it an office, home, or even LAN events.
3. Best Ethernet Cable For Streaming - Monoprice Cat8 Ethernet Network Cable
Our Rating: 9.1/10
Pros
- Shielded
- Solid Performance
- Available In Lots Of Colors
- Life-time Warranty
Cons
- Connectors Are Not Gold Plated
- Mediocre Build Quality
- Unremarkable Value
Category: Cat-8 | Multi-Color: Yes | Bandwidth/Transfer Rate: 2Ghz/20Gbps
Monoprice Cat8 Ethernet Network Cable is a very attractive product for home users as it is available in lots of colors and gamers can match the color of the cable to their PC theme. The cable has 2-GHz bandwidth and a 40-Gbps transfer speed. The maximum length available for buying is 50-ft which is more than enough for home use.
This cable was almost similar to the Micro Connectors cable in terms of stiffness and was even thicker in width. The performance depends more on the other equipment in the network but this cable provided us with improved speed nonetheless. It is a contender for the title of best ethernet cable for gaming and streaming.
The connectors on the cable are not gold-plated but it does not make much of a difference in terms of performance. Also, the company provides a lifetime warranty for the cable which is excellent. This is an interesting product for the people who are looking for variety in terms of colors and the overall look of the cable, mainly targeted towards streamers and PC enthusiasts who like to match their color scheme throughout their whole PC setup.
4. Best 100ft Ethernet Cable - Veetop Cat8 Ethernet Cable
Our Rating: 8.9/10
Pros
- 26AWG
- Premium Design
- Warranty Included
- 100ft Size Available
Cons
- Unremarkable Looks
- Mediocre Build Quality
- Only One Color
Category: Cat-8 | Multi-Color: No | Bandwidth/Transfer Rate: 2Ghz/20Gbps
Veetop Cat8 Ethernet cable supports up to 40-Gbps transfer rates with a bandwidth of 2-GHz. It uses 100% pure copper wires to ensure efficient operation. As it belongs to Category-8, the cable is an SFTP cable which means that both the inner wiring and the outer cable are protected by foils. Also, the connectors are gold plated for accurate data transfers. This cable has the longest length on our list with 65-ft readily available to buy.
If you are interested in networking you might also want to check out our guide on how to set up a Mesh WiFi network, which can really elevate your networking game.
Installation and removal of this cable were relatively easier thanks to the flexible push tab. The thickness was less than that of the Monoprice cable but achieved similar performance. We found this to be one of the best LAN cables we have ever seen.
This cable is only available in black color with golden connectors which makes it a better-looking product than most of the others. The company provides a 2-year warranty for the cable which is enough for a small product like this. If you want a long, durable, and top-notch LAN cable, then this option should be on your list.
5. Best Budget Ethernet Cable For Gaming - Buhbo CAT 8 Ethernet Cable
Our Rating: 8.7/10
Pros
- Two Colors Available
- Very Affordable
- Gold Plated And Shielded
Cons
- No Warranty
- Unremarkable Build Quality
- Maximum 10ft Size Available
- Flimsy Cable Design
Category: Cat-8 | Multi-Color: No | Bandwidth/Transfer Rate: 2Ghz/20Gbps
Buhbo CAT 8 Ethernet Cable is an SSTP cable supporting up to 2-GHz bandwidth and 40-Gbps transfer rate. The cable uses gold-plated connectors to ensure accurate data transfer and to avoid the connectors getting rusty. Since it is not available in a long size (maximum 10-ft long), make sure that you calculate the distance between your router and your device before you buy it.
As it is an SSTP cable, it provided a stable connection and first-class transfer rates. The cable is available in two colors, black/blue, and comes at a very cheap price making it the best bang for the buck though it is not covered by any warranty. The Buhbo CAT 8 Ethernet cable might not be the outright best ethernet cable for gaming, but it is still a viable budget option.
Factors To Consider While Buying
The cable industry has two types of consumers. One just wants a cable and only keeps factors such as length and price. On the other hand, we have professionals and even gamers who give a lot of importance to data transmission efficiencies and won’t mind getting charged extra for it. Despite being either of these two, it is very crucial to know how each and every ethernet cable performs for their day-to-day requirements. All Ethernet cables on our list use the same twisted pair copper technology but differ in size, quality, and build. Hence, we strongly emphasize you go through these crucial factors before landing on one product or the other.
Bandwidth/CAT Type
This is a purely subjective yet critical aspect to analyze before buying Ethernet cables. Ethernet cables come in various different bandwidth ranges. We can easily tell a cable’s speed by looking for the CAT type on the box description or the cable coating itself. You may have heard of CAT 6, CAT 7, CAT 8. CAT 6 has a bandwidth of 1 Gbps or 250 Mhz, making it suitable for home-usage. If you work in a professional environment where time is money, consider getting a CAT 8 without a second thought. With a bandwidth of 2000 MHz and speeds up to 40Gbps, you can’t go wrong with any of these. This is known as category TP, where TP is the abbreviation of twisted pair. Therefore, research your requirements and decide your bandwidth accordingly before buying your own personal ethernet cable for gaming or professional use.
Helpful Read: Differences between a modem and a router
Build Quality
Ethernet cables come in all types of sizes and qualities. If you compare a premium ethernet cable, you will be quite surprised by the vast differences between ordinary cables. Premium Ethernet cables are able to transmit high speeds data reliably without losing data. How do they do better than ordinary cables? You may ask. The first aspect you will notice is the type of coating used to cover the wiring. Special coatings are used to maximize protection from cable contact breaking up and electromagnetic interferences that may cause data loss. They also use high-quality metals such as 24 karat gold for efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Good cables have a special coating for protection against interference that would render the connection unreliable. You may also find good quality contact pins for best conduction, crucial for data transfer. This ensures that you can enjoy lag-free gaming without any problems. You may also check out reviews on other tech forums and consult us on our comments section.
Compared to WiFi, which is more common nowadays, Ethernet is better as it provides the lowest latency, packet loss, and highest bandwidth allowed by your ISP. The quality and type of Ethernet cable for gaming will also affect the overall performance of your connection.
We’d say it’s the bare minimum requirement if you want to play games. Going lower than this is CAT 5 that has a speed from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps and so may end up buying a much slower cable. CAT 6 cables can provide speeds of up to 1 Gbps with low data loss and latency. Hence it’s not a bad choice for budget gaming.
Currently, CAT 8 is the best type of Ethernet cable. CAT 8 is the latest twisted-pair technology that has a bandwidth of 2000 Mhz with transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps. CAT 8 is made for serious power users like gamers, content creators, and LAN servers. They are made of the best materials to ensure minimum throughput losses and excellent connection.
